1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to an improved computer system and, in particular, to a method and apparatus for more efficiently analyzing information in a computer system. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for more efficiently analyzing information about skills for people in a computer system.
2. Background
Information systems are used for many different purposes. For example, an information system may be used to process payroll or generate paychecks for employees in an organization. Additionally, an information system also may be used by a human resources department to maintain benefits and other records about employees. For example, a human resources department may manage health insurance, wellness plans, and other programs and organizations using an employee information system.
As yet another example, an information system may be used to determine when to hire new employees, assign employees to projects, perform reviews for employees, and other suitable operations for the organization. As another example, a research department in the organization may use an information system to store and analyze information to research new products, perform reviews of employees, hire new employees, analyze products, or for other suitable operations.
Currently used information systems include databases. These databases store information about the organization. For example, these databases store information about employees, products, research, product analysis, business plans, and other information about the organization.
These databases in the currently used information systems may not include all of the information needed for analysis to identify operations to perform for an organization. As a result, an operation that is selected for an operation may not be the correct one.
For example, in forming a team for a project, an analyst may identify previous projects of the same type that were performed successfully. For example, for a marketing project for a new product, the analyst may identify other marketing projects for similar products that resulted in successful sales of the product. The analyst may identify people who were involved and, in particular, identify the skills of those people, actions taken to make the project successful, or other information.
Identifying the skills that contributed to the successful marketing of the new product may be more difficult than desired. With the information in databases of currently used information systems, identification of the skills of the people involved, actions performed that led to the success of the projects, or both may be more difficult than desired.
Obtaining this type information may require more time and expense when data mining these databases than desired. In some cases, the information about the skills involved or actions that led to the success of the project may not be available in the information in the database.
For example, the analyst may send out surveys that ask people in the organization about the information needed. The surveys, however, are often lengthy, time-consuming, and expensive. As a result, the analyst may not often receive responses or may receive incomplete responses to surveys.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus that take into account at least some of the issues discussed above, as well as other possible issues. For example, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus that overcome a technical problem of insufficient information about the skills of people being present in information systems.